Story Time
by TheHesitantWriter
Summary: Sequel to Return of the Lioness. Brian tells a little bedtime story to get his little one to fall asleep. Does it work? Read and review. :) ONE-SHOT.


**A/N: Hello everyone! Upon request, I have written a little sequel to Return of the Lioness. If you haven't read that story, you might wanna give it a look before diving into this one! **

**Read, review, and enjoy! You can either contact me on here on at Hesitant_Writer on Twitter. :) Thanks so much!**

**I own no one.**

His eyes opened slightly at the sounds of his five-month-old daughter crying through the baby monitor. He looked over at his wife, still asleep, and smiled. She'd been so tired the last few weeks, he was glad the baby didn't wake her up.

Carefully, he climbed out of bed and quietly made his way to the nursery in the room a little ways down the hall. He walked into the dark room, padding his way to the cradle his daughter restlessly slept in. He reached in and picked her up carefully, holding her against his chest. He bounced a little as he walked around the room, quietly cooing to her hoping she would fall back to sleep soon.

He tried walking around, tried the rocking chair, checked her diaper, tried to feed her, nothing was helping his fussy baby. He knew if she kept crying eventually Olivia would wake up, if she hadn't already. He really didn't want to see her walk into the nursery to try her hand at soothing their girl. She needed sleep, this he knew too well.

Things had been tough the last couple days. Flashbacks, nightmares, closing off, it was all happening again. He feared how long it would last this time around.

Every May Olivia would get a little skittish. She would remember the burns, the cuts, the bruises, everything would come back to haunt her. She would see his face whenever she closed her eyes and she struggled with keeping her composure at times. Last May, being the first year since her abduction, had been hard for both of them. She didn't speak unless spoken to and rarely ate for about three weeks.

It sent Brian for a loop. He had asked Olivia to marry him the month before her almost "vow of silence." Before he figured out what was really going on, he feared she had changed her mind. It wasn't until she found out she was pregnant with Avery, a miracle of the engagement "celebration," that her spirits started to brighten.

May 30, 2013, the day that would forever change their lives. It was one of the happiest days of his life. Yes, finding out he was going to be a father was right up there with actually becoming a father and eventually marrying his new daughter's mother.

Their wedding day, which took place about two months ago, giving Olivia time to recover from the pregnancy, was the day he had waited so long for. He knew from the first day he saw her at SVU that he was going to marry her. Sure, he never imagined it happening sixteen years later, but the fact that it happened at all was enough for him.

He wouldn't change a thing. All of the heartache they had been through. All of the suffering they had done throughout their dating relationship made them stronger. It made them who they were. It made their marriage and family possible.

He hadn't lied when he told Munch he doubted his own relationship, but he also hadn't lied when he defended it, either.

Brian Cassidy was completely in love. He had always been, even all those years before. He could never deny Olivia, and now their daughter, anything. They were all he had, along with his mother, of course.

As he continued his attempts at relaxing his still crying baby, his mind wandered back to those days when Olivia was missing. The way his heart constantly beat in his throat. The way his mouth always felt dry. It was like his body was preparing itself for the hard news. The news that she would never return to him.

The thought of it made him weak, even now.

But she had returned to him, like he knew she would. He remembered her broken frame sitting in that hospital bed the first time he saw her. He remembered the fearful look in her eyes. The same look she had been wearing the last couple days.

It had been two years since Lewis, and yet, he still had his hold on Olivia in a way. He probably always would.

It saddened and angered Brian at the same time. Even in the safety of their apartment she would still shiver at times. It wasn't fair; she of all people did not deserve what happened to her. She only ever did good for other people and she got the shittiest "thank you" one could ever get.

Feeling himself tense at where his brain was going, he took a deep breath. He knew Avery could sense his tension; she was a perceptive little one. He knew she'd never get back to sleep if he was riled up himself.

He gazed at his daughter. Even when she cried she was still the cutest baby he'd ever seen. She was a carbon copy of her mother, and just as stubborn. He chuckled, "You're a stubborn girl, huh? Just like your Mama. Neither of you like to sleep when you're supposed to." His statement brought him back to the hospital again. He laughed to himself when he remembered Olivia's defiance to sleep.

His daughter looked up at him and for a small second she stopped crying. "Oh I see how it is," he smiled at her, "You want your Mama don't you? I'm sorry Baby, but you can't have her right now. She's sleeping. You're stuck with me."

Avery began to fuss and squirm in her father's embrace. Fearing her wiggling out of his grasp, he sat back down in the rocking chair. He slowly rocked them as he kept talking to her, "C'mon, I'm not that bad," he cooed. Her crying had ceased slightly as she continued to squirm and stretch in Brian's arms.

"I don't blame you, though," he said quietly, "You're Mom's pretty great. She's the most amazing person, and I know you'll grow up to be just like her." He placed Avery's head on his shoulder as he continued to rock in the chair. He thought about what his daughter would be like as she got older. A part of him looked forward to seeing the woman she would become, but at the same time he loved how little she was now. He loved the little sounds and faces she made without trying. She was the perfect little baby and he almost wanted her to never grow up.

He rubbed his hand lightly on her back as his thoughts traveled back to Olivia. He too, found that he thought about those days she was missing more when May came around. He thought about a lot of things when May came, his shooting, her abduction, the positive pregnancy test. No one would ever guess those three things took place in three years, three Mays in a row, but they did and together they overcame every obstacle.

His thoughts made their way, yet again, back to that hospital room. Her weak hand in his, her slow breathing the only sound in the room, her need for comfort, his confession of love.

He laughed as he thought about how he told Olivia he loved her. He doesn't even know where he came up with the "story" he told her, but it did the trick. It calmed her down and allowed him to express what he otherwise might not have said in that moment.

He felt his daughter begin to fuss against his chest and sighed in slight frustration. He loved his girl, but she was already pushing his buttons at five months.

He then got an idea.

He repositioned her so she was lying in his arms, cradling her close to his chest. He looked down at her little face; scrunched up with whatever distress she was feeling.

"Hey there," he whispered, "You want me to tell you a story? Usually works with Mama. It's probably one of her favorites. Mine, too. I've only told it once, and it was a long time ago, so bare with me, but I think you'll like it."

He suddenly had his five-month-old's undivided attention. He continued, "It's about how a lioness and a lamb became the greatest of friends."

* * *

Olivia, having been awake the whole time he was taking care of their baby, perked up at his last statement. He didn't turn the baby monitor off when he walked into the nursery and she had been listening the whole time. She had wanted to go in and help him, but also knew he could do it on his own. She didn't want to insult him by always going to aid him whenever he had Avery. He was already nervous about being a Dad, even though he was great at it, she didn't want to make him feel worse.

Her thoughts traveled back to that day. The hospital room seemed so cold and unhappy until he showed up. She could still feel his arms around her in their first embrace since her return. She remembered how relaxed she became upon feeling his warmth. He was everything to her, and as she found out moments later, she was everything to him.

* * *

"As she was making her rounds of the jungle, she came across a lamb," he said quietly, his daughter gazing intently at him, "her and her pack were skeptical of the lamb, but eventually decided he was a friend of theirs."

He continued to walk slowly around the room with his daughter relaxing in his arms. As he got to the end, he started to get emotional, just like he did that day. He remembered that Olivia was in their bedroom safely sleeping and that Lewis was behind bars, never to hurt her again. Feeling his daughter squirm again, he decided to finish the story.

"One day, the lioness' friend came across a gorilla…"

* * *

Olivia, practically glued to the baby monitor, felt the same emotions she knew Brian was feeling. She could hear the slight thickness in his voice. She remembered that day and how emotional he was, as was she. It was an emotional day. The many days to follow were just the same. As Brian neared the end of the story, she tuned herself back in to listen.

This was her favorite part…

* * *

"The lamb helped the lioness back to her den and nursed her wounds. Eventually the lioness got better. She was so grateful for the lamb and how much of a friend he was to her," he stopped, trying to remember how he finished the story the last and only time he ever told it until now.

His daughter looked up at him. He leaned down and kissed her forehead; glad she was starting to settle down again. He thought back to the story and remembered he still needed to finish it.

"Well, as I'm sure you'll someday find out, much to my dismay," he said jokingly, "The lioness and the lamb had become such good friends that they eventually developed feelings for each other. In the process, the lion fell in love with the lamb."

* * *

Olivia beamed at hearing the end of the story. She still considered herself a lioness, mostly because Brian would never let her think anything otherwise. Yes, she had been abducted, and she fought like hell to get back.

She did get back and had so much to show for it now.

* * *

"My Avery, someday you will be a lioness. You're Mama is one, a good one. She takes on gorillas everyday. Someday you'll grow up to be a lioness just like her," Brian cooed as he made his way over to the cradle, his daughter finally asleep again. He kissed her head one last time and gently placed her back in her bed.

"Goodnight, my Princess," he whispered quietly. He stood up straight and finally made his way back to his bedroom after a long time spent with his girl. He couldn't say he minded it, though.

He walked into his bedroom and saw Olivia still sleeping like she had been when he left. He smiled as he climbed into bed behind her, cuddling up to her warm body.

He sighed deeply as he heard, "I see there was no mention of you being a lamb. You also never did write the sequel like you promised."

He laughed. Her sass was very evident even in her exhausted state.

"I didn't mean to wake you, Baby," he said sadly.

"I know, it's okay. You didn't wake me, our fussy girl did."

"She was exceptionally fussy tonight."

"Hm, I could tell," she whispered as she turned in his embrace, facing him. "But if anyone is good at soothing people, it's you."

He smiled. Olivia sensed his nervousness about being a good Dad, and she always knew how to ease his mind. "Must be the lamb in me," he joked.

She chuckled, "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he spoke quietly feeling her lips lightly graze his.

"You know," she cocked an eyebrow, "I could use a little soothing myself."

He grinned at her. He knew she did. After these last couple days of remembering, she needed a little something to help pull her mind from that beach house. "I don't know," he said teasingly, "I'm kind of tired."

"C'mon," she pouted, "You soothed Avery. Spread the wealth."

He laughed as his hands found the buttons of his sleep shirt she always wore while his lips found hers again. Gently he unbuttoned the shirt, revealing her soft skin and perfect cleavage. He leaned back and gazed at her. He couldn't help but enjoy the size Olivia's breasts had grown to during her pregnancy and nursing.

He leaned down and began to lightly kiss her scars, the ones Lewis inflicted upon her. Olivia relaxed from the touch. The simple gesture reminded her that she was safe, protected, and wanted despite the mutilation she endured under the hands of a monster.

The gorilla would not win.

The lioness would always have the lamb to nurse her wounds.

**Well, that's it! I hope you enjoyed and make sure to review. You can contact me on here or at Hesitant_Writer on Twitter! Thanks!**


End file.
